'Tis a snap (Part I)

Been keeping an eye on the grocery aisles for some time, hoping to come across a chocolate wafer without icky additives. Sadly, this doesn't appear to be the kind of item one can buy off-the-shelf. At least not where I live.

But goodness knows, a gal needs her chocolate, and chocolate wafers are a fine way to get it. Plus, wafers are so versatile. You can enjoy them plain, crumble 'em over a scoop of ice-cream or frozen yogurt, or dunk 'em in a beverage.

One of my fave uses of chocolate wafers is in an ice-cream sandwich. It'd sure be nice to have a pile of additive-free wafers on hand. As building blocks, if you will.

Anyhow, just last week I was prompted to search for a recipe for chocolate wafers. This burst of enthusiasm came after stumbling across awesome wafers in Louisiana — I was in those parts on holiday. (Coincidentally, these wafers were Canadian-baked. In High River, Alberta.)

Hmm, I thought (whilst munching), a recipe would suit my needs. I've never minded a little fuss — I quite enjoy the fuss of baking, in fact. Plus, there's a real charm in "homemade": irregular shapes, aroma wafting about the kitchen, not to mention unbeatable flavour. Being able to customize a recipe is, of course, another plus with homemade.

And wouldn't you know. BAM, I found a recipe, just like that. One that seems perfect.

I plan to use this newfound recipe as a base, but I'll give it a twist. I'm going to add peppermint essence, which is, at least in part, what made those Alberta-baked ones so great.

So, chocolate-peppermint snaps, here we go.

I'll let you know how they turn out. Tomorrow, hopefully.

I'm back

Yup, after something of a break, I'm back. Look for a new post this coming Sunday.

 

For a while there — between work, the Christmas season and travel — I got too busy to keep to my schedule of posting. All I managed was the occasional Tweet or FB post.

But I've been itching to resume. From here on, I'll be aiming to post something every day of the week, with the exception of Saturday.

Heck, breaks are good, good for the soul. Just like snacks.

:-)

Waffling, by choice

About a month ago, we bought a waffle iron. As an anniversary present to ourselves.

I'd been dreaming about owning such a contraption for quite some time. I have fond memories of a friend carting his waffle iron over to our kitchen — a dozen years back! Whoa — and cooking up heaps of melt-in-yer-mouth chocolate waffles.

The iron we bought was President's Choice brand. Just your simple, basic, two-waffles-at-a-time machine. But only $12. And it works great.

Here's the best waffle recipe I've tried so far:

Multigrain Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup twelve-grain cereal
• 1 2/3 cup multigrain flour
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder

Makes 4-6 waffles (depending on size of iron).

How

1. Beat egg (in medium bowl)
2. Add all other ingredients
3. Stir batter and spoon into waffle maker (pre-sprayed with canola oil)
4. Cook 5 minutes

Of course, without toppings a waffle just ain't a waffle. For me, I love a thick, non-sweetened yogurt; plus fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries); plus sliced almonds; plus a drizzle of maple syrup.

Another good thing: If you whip up a super-large batch, you can freeze leftover waffles. They keep really well. Then, whenever you're in the mood, you can pull one or two out of your freezer bag and plop 'em into the toaster. Sweet and easy.

I'm back

Yup, after something of a break, I'm back. Look for a new post this coming Sunday.

 

For a while there — between work, the Christmas season and travel — I got too busy to keep to my schedule of posting. All I managed was the occasional Tweet or FB post.

But I've been itching to resume. From here on, I'll be aiming to post something every day of the week, with the exception of Saturday.

Heck, breaks are good, good for the soul. Just like snacks.

:-)

Smooth moves

Smoothies make top-notch treats.

Packed with protein and other good stuff, smoothies serve as excellent post-workout snacks. They also serve as handy, and healthy, meal replacements.

When you're on the hop, you won't find many choices that are tastier or easier to slam back.

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Lip-smacking Smoothie

Place the following in a blender:

• frozen yogurt, vanilla (small scoop)
• unsweetened yogurt, plain (several spoonfuls)
• berries, fresh or frozen (handful)
• banana
• fruit juice (splash)
• milk and/or soy milk (splash)
• milk powder (sprinkle)
• flaxseed, ground (sprinkle)
• hemp seed (sprinkle)
• cocoa powder (spoonful)
• spinach leaves, fresh (handful).

Cover, then simply blend, pour and savour.

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Notice I've been imprecise about quantities. That's intentional. Just follow your preferences and trust your instincts. You can always add more liquid or solids to fine-tune the consistency.

You might be surprised at how full-on yummy this is without added flavorings or sweeteners. There are sufficient sources of sugar already in there to balance out the cocoa powder.

Anyhow, the above formulation makes two portions, more or less. That's convenient, because snacks definitely taste better when shared with a loved one or friend.

Fred and I tend to make smoothies cooperatively. We've so nailed the process that we can whip one together, start to finish, during a TV commercial. (Ha, imagine my mamma's pride.)

P.S. Might interest you to know that this particular recipe is essentially the liquid version of my "mixie bowl", my favorite evening snack (which I posted about a while back).

Too cheesy? Are you crackers?

Have a hankering for something, but unsure which snack to serve?

Why turn your back on an old favorite? Consider cheese and crackers.

Cheese and crackers surely belongs in the Snacking Hall of Fame. It’s a treat that is satisfying, yet lightning-quick to prepare. Truly, you need only bother with a knife and cutting board.

Such an arrangement can be simple, yet perfectly elegant. It’s also an efficient way to quiet a crowd, be it a rag-tag band of football viewers or tuxedoed party guests.

What's more, crackers and cheese qualifies as a relatively healthy choice. And with its compliment of protein, carbohydrate and fat, C&C is practically complete, nutritionally speaking.

Choosing your cheese

Go with what grabs your fancy. Pungent blue. Creamy Camembert. A solid swiss. Or a cheddar, especially an aged variety. Yum.

Whatever you select, a good idea is to let the cheese stand for a bit after removing it from the fridge. The flavors emerge much more fully at room temperature.

Choosing your crackers

Again, go with what you enjoy. (That's clearly the rule here at SnackCastle.) But be aware that some crackers are more interesting — and more healthy — than others.

I go for whole-grain where possible, to maximize the count of vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Marriage made in heaven

Try some of these winning combos:

• blue cheese + rye crackers
• goats cheese + rice crackers
• whisky cheddar + cracked wheat crackers
• swiss + sesame crackers
• vegan cheese + any of the above.

With zillions of permutations to enjoy, be brave and experiment. For instance, to add some zing, dollop on a little hot-pepper jelly. It'll bring a whole different texture to your C&C.

Finally, if you're headed to work or even out on a hike, there's no need to do without. I've heard it said that plastic containers and ziplock bags were invented for packing cheese and crackers.

Until next time, keep your crackers crispy.

(Hint: If you interpreted that last statement literally, packing the cheese separately from the crackers will do the trick.)

Nothing corny 'bout this traditional dish

Cornbread. Simple to make, good for you and downright scrumptious -- especially as a snack.

What's not to love?

Cornbread is so versatile. The recipe can be tailored to suit your tastes, and there are many ways to serve it. My preference is dessert-style; warm, with a topping of sour cream.

This version is based on a recipe from the The Okinawa Program. The book presents an approach to healthy living drawn from practices of residents of an island chain in southern Japan, folks renowned for their longevity.

Easy-peasy Cornbread

• 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Oil 9-inch pan. (I use a cast-iron skillet, to add iron to my diet.)
3. Combine dry ingredients (cornmeal, flaxseed, baking soda, salt) in small bowl.
4. In medium bowl, stir together wet ingredients (yogurt, oil, egg).
5. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
6. Pour batter into pan. Bake 25-30 minutes (i.e. until toothpick comes out clean).
7. Set on rack to cool (approx 10 minutes). Flip pan to empty.
8. Cut into wedges. Serve warm.
9. Refrigerate leftovers.

Variations:

→ Go for Balkan- or Greek-style yoghurt if you like your cornbread rich. But I think it's as tasty with low-fat yoghurt.

→ Use just egg white if you wish to cut cholesterol.

→ In place of flaxseed, choose other seeds, nuts or grains to vary taste and texture. I'm partial to flaxseed because it is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.

No biggie. Whip up your cornbread whichever way you please.

Then slice yourself a hunk, sit back and enjoy.